Jim Troughton

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Neil McKenzie (Hampshire) - Whilst his former South African team mates ground England into the dust at The Oval, the Hampshire opener took 139 runs off the Essex attack at Chelmsford.

Sam Northeast (Kent) - Hit a stylish hundred - the fourth of his first-class career - as the game with Glamorgan petered out to a draw.

Nick Compton (Somerset) - Kept his side in the game against Warwickshire with an unbeaten 73 in the first innings and then provided sterling support to Kieswetter as Somerset pulled off a remarkable turnaround at Taunton.

Jim Troughton (Warwickshire) - The captain's hundred looked to have set up a decisive advantage for the title challengers at Taunton before Somerset turned the tables in the second innings.

Craig Kieswetter (Somerset) - Bludgeoned Somerset to a narrow one wicket victory against the Division 1 leaders with 152 from just 170 balls at Taunton.

Moeen Ali (Worcestershire) - Won the battle of the part-time bowlers with 12 wickets to Steven Croft's nine as Lancashire were humbled at Old Trafford.

David Wheater (Essex) - Nearly pulled off a remarkable heist at Chelmsford, but with his score on 98 and Essex just three runs short of their 360 run target, the keeper holed out to Sean Ervine on the long-on boundary

Ben Scott (Worcestershire) - A week for keepers - as well as Kieswetter and Wheater, Mark Wallace hit a hundred and Chris Read 98, but Scott's 1st innings hundred proved decisive in a low-scoring contest at Old Trafford.

Steve Magoffin (Sussex) - Was the difference between the sides at Arundel with match figures of nine for 50 (off 34.4 overs) and then hit the winning runs after Sussex had stumbled in their pursuit of 94 against basement side Durham.

James Tomlinson (Hampshire) - Grabbed five for 86 including the final wicket of Wheater as Hampshire narrowly defeated Essex at Chelmsford.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

For six hours and 10 minutes he held out. He took Hampshire to within 21 runs of avoiding the follow-on and perhaps preventing Warwickshire from securing the win they needed. He carried his bat for 151 not out.

Another day of twists and turns means the destination of the title has still not been decided as we enter the last day of the season today - this is the way it always should be.

With due deference to Jim Troughton, no-one deserves to lift the trophy more than Glen Chapple, whose heroism has reached new levels down at Taunton. Despite a bad hamstring injury, Chapple has continued to bowl and even took the first Somerset second innings wicket.

Indeed, despite battling injury all season, Chapple has taken 53 wickets at just under 20.

The Skipton born Chapple is already an honorary Lancastrian; Dawson so nearly joined him at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

There are so many reasons why as a neutral we want Lancashire to claim the title: the 77 year famine, Warwickshire's underhand performance enhancing runs and the fact that Lancashire's success has come from playing most home matches at Aigburth. But Chapple's valour is the biggest reason of all.

They stand accused of a crime far more serious and underhand - the shadow of performance enhancing runs now hangs over their title tilt.

The evidence became irrefutably clear yesterday when Shivnarine Chanderpaul eased to his third Championship ton in just four matches. If that wasn't performance enhancing enough then look at the effect of the dastardly West Indian veteran on the rest of his new batting colleagues.

Messrs Westwood, Troughton, Chopra and Clarke could hardly ever be called prolific run scorers, but Shiv has obviously supplied them all with the same thing that he has been taking. There is no clearer proof than the fact that Troughton hit his first Championship ton for 25 months against Notts last week. Even Clarke came to the party with his first century of the season in the same match.

And then yesterday in their final match against Hampshire where victory and maximum bonus points will give them the title, Chopra scored his third hundred of the season, but (and this is the crucial point) his first since scoring back to back double hundreds in the first two matches of the season.

Chanderpaul has got previous too - he was on the field when Durham won their consecutive titles in 2008 and 2009, so it seems incredible that the ECB didn't notice. Whilst they have been too busy tossing their pink cricket balls in the air, Warwickshire and the evil Shiv have been stealing away the County Championship from 77 year title famine victims Lancashire.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) - Beautifully timed unbeaten 169 (off 230 balls) to set up Lancashire's pre-lunch declaration on the final day of their must-win game against Hampshire.

Ian Westwood (Warwickshire) - Solid 171 laid the foundations for victory over Nottinghamshire as Warwickshire took the top spot in Division 1 for the first time this season.

Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire) - The lone star for last year's champions with 72 (out of 238) before carrying his bat for 106 (out of 222) in the innings defeat to rampaging Warwickshire.

Joe Denly (Kent) - On a week where opening batsman shined, the newly resurgent Denly's career best 199 and second innings 68 were still not enough to save Kent from defeat against Derbyshire.

Jim Troughton (Warwickshire) - The skipper picked an opportune time to score his first Championship ton for 25 months to pip the likes of Zander de Bruyn and Will Durston for a spot in this week's XI.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) - Nearly denied Lancashire with an uncharacteristically watchful three hour vigil for a first-innings 128 and also picked up three wickets.

John Simpson (Middlesex) - The promising wicketkeeper-batsman impressed again with 95 in Middlesex's rain affected encounter with Glamorgan.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) - Took his season's tally to 45 wickets, but it was his barnstorming 126 (from just 101 balls) that caught the eye at Edgbaston and nearly ruined our casserole.

Ryan Sidebottom (Yorkshire) - Ensured Yorkshire at least went down fighting and ended their disappointing season with a win by taking 11 for 98 - including a second innings seven for 37 - against Somerset.

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire) - It may not have been Old Trafford, but Kerrigan's convincing take on Jim Laker kept Lancashire in the title hunt at Liverpool. The final wicket of his nine for 51 (and match haul of 12 wickets) came just in the nick of time.

David Balcombe (Kent) - The on-loan paceman took his tally to 33 wickets in just five matches with nine against Derbyshire.

12th man: Chris Jordan (Surrey) - We don't normally select a 12th man, but we'll make an exception this week. Jordan hit two career bests with the bat - following up his 1st innings 71 with an unbeaten 79 second time around. He then got a career best with the ball too as Surrey's promotion charge gathered further momentum.

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